"Hey, if I could read minds, I'd be thinking about how I could use my power to rule the world," I said.

"You sounds like a cartoon character," Lucky told me.

Flinch nodded. "Martin Mindmaster, Conqueror of the Universe."

Lucky started laughing, "With his faithful sidekick, Zucchini, who can read the minds of vegetables and fruits."

- page 184 of Hidden Talents

Leafing through my worn out pages of a book I read so many times before, I feel the same joy I felt the first time reading it many years before. Giggles escape my throat since I am astound by brilliant quotes like the one above. The thought of a superpower in reading the minds of healthy food resonates with me every time.

Hidden Talents is a special novel to me. Lubar makes a simple story extraordinary with his incomparable wit and outstanding narrative. Every time I settle down to read this story, I am immediately hooked. Martin's reputation, one of arrogance and rudeness, is farther from the truth. Too bad the world does not realize this fact. Teachers, parents, all the people in charge just do not like him. His big mouth leads to his downfall of being expelled by too many schools. The novel starts with Martin on the bus to the special high school for juvenile delinquents, the ever-exciting Edgeview. Edgeview holds Martin's journey to maturity, true friends and the discovery of supernatural talents. I absolutely love the segways between each chapter where there is little letters, poems, or scripts of scenes that revealed the thoughts or events of the lives of the other characters besides Martin. Above all, I love the "Why I like being me?" pieces that each of Martin's friends wrote. Especially the one of my favorite character Trash. He is certainly not a worthless piece of rubbish to me. He is a star in my mind.

"I'm sorry this is late, but I didn't feel like doing it before. Anyhow, I guess I like being me because I'm a good artist. I really like to draw. It feels good to create something new. It feels bad to destroy things. When I pick up my pen and start drawing on a blank piece of paper, I know I can make something wonderful."

- page 173 of Hidden Talents What really makes Hidden Talent remarkable is its characters interwoven with its simple story of boys with superpowers rebelling against conforming and learning to fight for what is right. Forgetting the restraints society set and forgiving society's misjudgments.Each character has an important role to play. Martin, the brilliant protagonist is the one who unites his friends to their full potential while learning more about himself too. Martin and his friends, Torchie, Lucky, Finch, Cheater and Trash, are all grow up magnificently throughout this novel as they learn the truth about Edgeview, their first place to belong. They are real heros! I enjoyed the genuine journey as the group of friends steadily learn to accept what they wish was not true. Every scene is full of spark; from forgiveness scenes to playing in an arcade to a delightful science experiment that I wish I could do in school. I love the action-packed finale with its surprising revelation.

"I imagine every talent has a price, both the talents we know about and the hidden talents - the gifts we haven't yet discovered."

14 comments:

Beautiful review, Rachel! I can see that this is a book that you love dearly. :) I really like the message in this story, that everyone of us has talents. I'm sure that there is always hidden talent inside of us, just like what the title says! :)

Like Hilda said, thanks for drawing this to attention! I haven't come across it before, but I definitely like the sound of it. I like the thought of following a group of friends. I'll have to make sure I meet Martin one day! Beautiful review, Rachel. :)

I'm guessing this is MG, is that right? I don't read much MG, but this sounds like it has such a great message, and I'm always on the lookout for epic books to pass on to my younger cousins who are just starting to really fall in love with reading. Thanks for the recommendation Rachel!

Hey Rachel! Nice to be over here again. Hope all is well in your world. I have never heard of this but obviously it sounds like a great MG coming of age story with fantastic characters. For me my favorite coming of age story even though it is best suited for teenagers was Stephen King's Stand By Me the movie or THe Body the novella. I must check this one out! I love that your copy is worn with all the times you read it!

If I'd come across this book before I would have gone straight past it, but you've made me add this to my TBR! I love the sound of all the characters here and the strong friendship between them. Beautiful review, Rachel. :)

It's so odd that this book has such a special place in your heart and I've never even heard of it! It sounds charming and wodnerfully written and fully original. I'll definitely keep an eye out and try to get my hands on a copy.Great review, darling!

As of March 21, 2012, my blog is an award free zone. I thank you for considering me but I do not have the time to fulfill the award duties.If you comment on my posts, I will definitely check out your blog.

Thank you for visiting my blog. If you follow me and tell me, I will for sure follow back. I read and enjoy every single comment! I hope you enjoy my blog and come again soon!

About Me

Hi, My name is Rachel and I am an avid book reader. I enjoy reading any genre. I mostly read Young Adult (YA) books, but I also enjoy Agatha Christie mysteries. My favorite genres include paranormal, mysteries, realistic fiction and historical fiction. I hope you enjoy reading my blog!